Woman Assaulted And Found Unconscious Early Last Sunday Morning January 21 At Roosevelt Island Graduate Hotel 22 North Loop Road Location On Cornell Tech Campus

According to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Safety Department (PSD) 24 Hour Blotter:

01/21/23 – 0120 – 22 North Loop Road – Assault – EMS, NYPD, and PSD Responded – Report

22 North Loop road is the address of The Graduate Hotel and Panorama Room on the Cornell Tech campus. 

On Tuesday January 24, I asked RIOC PSD Chief Kevin Brown and Assistant Vice President of Communications Akeem Jamal:

What were the circumstances regarding the Assault listed in the Public Safety Blotter below? Did an assault actually occur?

Were there any injuries or weapons used?

There has been no response from RIOC. 

In response to my inquiry, a NYPD spokesperson reported:

34 year old female aided found unconscious at the location. 911 was called. Aided has bruising to face and was removed to Cornell hospital for treatment. Aided does not know how she sustained injury.

A Graduate Roosevelt Island Hotel spokesperson adds: 

We are aware of this very serious situation and are working closely with authorities as this remains an open investigation. The safety and well being of locals, guests and associates is our greatest priority at Graduate Roosevelt Island.

It's not clear if the incident occurred inside or outside the hotel.

Chief Brown participated in the January 17 Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Public Safety Committee (PSC) meeting discussion about various community issues. Chief Brown advised the PSC that RIOC President Shelton Haynes and Communications VP Akeem Jamal will not allow him to attend future meetings but instead RIOC will conduct their own Public Safety meetings.

Watch video of the meeting here.

You're Invited To Roosevelt Island RIVAA Gallery Opening Reception For "You Can Do This" Exhibition By Bob Buckley Saturday January 28 - Paintings Start A Conversation On Hate And Homelessness, Other Are Just Pretty Pictures To Get Out Of Unhealthy Space

According to the Roosevelt Island RIVAA Gallery: 

Robert Buckley is having his first solo exhibition at RIVAA Gallery. We look forward to welcoming you to this great opportunity to see a large body of his work. 

Bob Buckley has been drawing and painting for a few years. He had basically given up everything from his mid-thirties to his mid-fifties. He did a sketch of Rainy Park for his girlfriend and for Christmas and his birthday, she gifted him a month of classes at the Art Students League. He has not looked back. He has exhibited in many groups shows around New York City. “You Can Do This” is his first solo show.

He tries to start a conversation through his paintings. Hate and Homelessness are real and need to be talked about and dealt with in a positive way. Not all of his work holds a message. They are just pretty pictures to get him out of an unhealthy space. Creating is what gives his life purpose.

The opening reception will be on January 28th from 6-9 pm. At the RIVAA Gallery 527 Main Street Roosevelt Island, NY 10044

Wednesday Jan 25th- Sunday29th, Reception Jan 28th, 6-9 pm

UPDATE 2/1

Scenes from the opening reception.

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RIOC Hosting Roosevelt Island Blackwell Park Redesign Community Presentation Friday Evening January 27- You're Invited And RIOC Says Your Input Is Valued

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) is hosting a Blackwell Park

 

redesign community presentation Friday evening, January 27, starting 6 PM at the Good Shepherd Chapel (543 Main Street)

According to RIOC: 

Dear Roosevelt Island Community,

The historic Blackwell Park, located at the intersection of West Road and Main Street, is among the most utilized recreation spaces on Roosevelt Island. As the Island continues to develop, so has the need for public parks and other amenities. The increased demand highlights a glaring need to expand the existing playground area and green space within Blackwell Park. As RIOC celebrates over four decades of the storied Blackwell Park, it's known that the originally constructed area requires a transformative redesign to meet the current standards and is aligned with other New York City parks. In Phase I, RIOC announced an upgrade to the west parcel of the park, including a brand-new sidewalk, vibrant trees, fresh landscaping, and an open seating area outside of the New York Public Library.

As President & CEO Shelton J. Haynes recently announced, your input is at the forefront of the design phase. RIOC hopes to achieve the same results at the east parcel of Blackwell Park during Phase II. Areas of improvement include equipment upgrades to be ADA compliant, infrastructure updates including utility and drainage systems, and beautifying other highly frequented areas such as the pergola area, plaza pavement and fountain, water play area, basketball courts, hardscape, and landscape areas throughout. As RIOC moves forward with Phase II of Blackwell Park, your input is valued as it will provide the framework and direction for the Masterplan of the Blackwell Park project....

...  RIOC will host a community presentation on Friday, 1/27 at The Chapel of Good Shepherd (543 Main Street) to have a discussion about the vision for Phase II of Blackwell Park.

Roosevelt Island Tram Metro Card Machines Not Taking Credit Cards, Only Cash, For Weeks - Resident Asks If Any Plan To Fix Before 2024, MTA Says They Are Working With Verizon To Fix

A Roosevelt Island residents asked yesterday:

The metro card machines at the tram haven’t taken credit cards in weeks (?). Do you know anything? Any plans to fix them before 2024? ;)

PSD will let anyone through the gate who asks.

The Roosevelt Island Twitterverse has been asking the MTA to fix the Tram Metro Card Machines too.

Hi Megan and thanks for reaching out. We'll get this escalated on our end to look into what's happening with the MetroCard Machines there. ^EL

— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) January 22, 2023

@NYCTSubway neither of the metrocard machines are working on the Roosevelt Island tram and no OMNY so NO WAY to access the tram if need to refill card - no sign on machines either. YOU SUCK!!

— MARIDOG (@MarieFetzer) January 14, 2023

Just bring OMNY.

— Just call me merchant ✪ (@mfanaobeba) January 25, 2023

In response to my Tweet yesterday, the MTA says they are working with Verizon to get Metro Card machines fixed.

Good afternoon. We are working with Verizon to get these machines back up and running again. We apologize for any inconvenience there. ^JP

— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) January 24, 2023

Comments on the Roosevelt Islander Instagram page are: 

• Utterly insane. Several instances of “coins only”, as well.
• Ridiculous
• It's unbelievable that the Tram still doesn't have the OMNY system installed. It's as if we come LAST in NYC. It causes unreasonable lines, at least on the Manhattan side. IT'S WAY PAST DUE. We're dealing with less than 10 turnstiles at 2 locations, why does it take so long???

The MTA reported last November that the Roosevelt Island Tram will be integrated with the Roosevelt Island Tram sometime in 2023.

Roosevelt Island Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance Teen Players Performing Arthur Miller's The Crucible This Weekend, Get Your Tickets Now - Watch Video Interview With Playwright Arthur Miller And Learn Why He Wrote The Crucible

The Main Street Theatre & Dance Alliance (MST&DA) Teen Players are performing Arthur Miller's The Crucible this weekend.

According to MST&DA:

THE CRUCIBLE by Arthur Miller

"Written in the early 1950s, Arthur Miller’s play "The Crucible" takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, during the 1692 Salem witch trials. This was a time when paranoia, hysteria, and deceit gripped the Puritan towns of New England. Miller captured the events in a riveting story that is now considered a modern classic in the theatre. He wrote it during the "Red Scare" of the 1950's and used the Salem witch trials as a metaphor for the "witch hunts" of communists in America.” - Thoughtco

Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play. This exciting drama about the Puritan purge of witchcraft in old Salem is both a gripping historical play and a timely parable of our contemporary society. “A powerful drama.” —NY Times. “Strongly written.” —NY Daily News.

Click here for more info and to purchase tickets.

Learn more about The Crucible from this 1995 interview with playwright Arthur Miller

 

and from the PBS program American Masters.

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RIOC PSD Chief Brown Discusses Roosevelt Island Public Safety Issues With RIRA PSC Committee During January 17 Meeting - RIOC Cancels Future Meetings With RIRA PSC, Disabled Motorgate Parking Fees, Shoplifting & 460 Main Street Building Problems Among Items Discussed

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Public Safety Department Chief Kevin Brown usually meets once a month with members of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Public Safety Committee (PSC) to listen and discuss community issues and concerns.

This practice of the RIOC PSD Director meeting with the RIRA Public Safety Committee began in 2014 following discussions with former RIOC President Charlene Indelicato, former RIOC PSD Chief Jack McManus and RIRA PSC Chair Erin Feely-Nahem.

Chief Brown, who was Deputy PSD Chief under Chief McManus, has continued the practice of meeting with the RIRA PSC.

But not next month or afterwards either.  RIOC has decided to discontinue meeting with the RIRA PSC.

During the January 17 RIRA PSC meeting, Chief Brown announced that he will no longer be meeting with the RIRA Public Safety committee. Instead, Chief Brown said that RIOC will be organizing it's own monthly in person Public Safety meeting at Good Shepherd Chapel.

This plan is another example of RIOC's new Vice President of Communications Akeem Jamal plan to have RIOC:

... Control the Narrative...

Stay tuned for more on this issue. 

Other issues discussed at the January 17 RIRA PSC meeting include:

• RIOC's plan to begin charging fees for disabled people to use the Motorgate Parking garage. Several residents have been told this will start in February but when Chief Brown was asked if it was true, he said he did not know.
• Review of 2022 crime
• Shoplifting at Duane Reade
• Building Vertical Patrols
• PSD Staffing Levels
• Quality of Life problems at 460 Main Street affordable housing building
• January Grand Larceny and Assault
• Parking/Loading and Unloading
  

Here's the discussion from the January 17 RIRA PSC meeting with Chief Brown.

Sponsored Post - Roosevelt Island Café At Cornell Tech Returns To Regular Hours, Check Out This Week's Menu For Breakfast, Grab & Go Specials, Daily Dish Hotline Items, Pizza Station, Salads, Coffee, Tea, Smoothies & More

The Roosevelt Island Café at Cornell Tech has returned to its regular hours. Check out this week’s Menu for Breakfast, Grab & Go Specials, Daily Dish Hotline items, Pizza Station, Salads, Coffee, Tea, Smoothies & more. 

In the past 5+ years the Café has not had a price increase. Due to the current economic pressures, we will be raising prices slightly to soften the café’s inflationary pressures.

As we are increasing prices we will be also enhancing our menus and the quality of our products.

For example, Grab-and-go sandwiches would go from 6.25 – 7 to 8 dollars for a bigger sandwich with enhanced proteins such as (chicken, steak, and more protein ounces in every sandwich)

Our daily hotline will now have dishes with a price range of 12- 16 dollars and be enhanced with the current bowl concepts, carving stations, world flavors, and partner restaurants. 

The pizza station will now offer Neapolitan-style personal pizzas in addition to some of our current flatbreads.

And the prices in the coffee bar will go up across the board by about ten percent. 

We look forward to serving our neighbors in the Roosevelt Island community. 

We are open Monday thru Friday 8am to 7 pm. Saturday and Sundays 11am to 5pm.

See you soon at the Café.